mobileme

Some iOS users are reporting what appears to be a bug in Apple's iCloud online storage service. For users that received an extra 20GB of storage for free after migrating from MobileMe are seeing an expiration date of 2050. The date showed up on users' accounts yesterday, which also happened to be the last day that users could keep their 20GB.

If you were an existing MobileMe user when the service made the transition to Apple's iCloud, your days of free bonus storage are nearly over. Apple began sending out email reminders to former MobileMe members today, reminding them that on September 30, their accounts will downgrade to just 5GB of storage. Those who were MobileMe customers when the switch occurred were given 20GB of storage for free, but that all comes to an end very soon.

The shutdown process has taken years, but Apple’s paid cloud service MobileMe was finally closed for good officially on Sunday. Now Apple is starting to remind everyone that iWork’s online portal will follow in MobileMe’s footsteps and will also be shut down this July 31, 2012. Users should start backing up any work before that date if they ever want to see documents stored there again.

Apple has disabled iCloud and MobileMe push-email support in Germany, after Motorola convinced a court the cloud sync service infringed its patents, though the Cupertino firm offers both a workaround and the assurance it will fight the ruling. Detailed in an Apple support document, the workaround involves switching to timed email checks for those in Germany, rather than getting their new messages as soon as they're received.

When Apple announced the iCloud at WWDC 2011, it also revealed that its MobileMe syncing service would be shutting down. Although the core services of MobileMe will be rolled into the iCloud, there are still certain features that will no longer sync due to the transition. To make things better, Apple may be offering MobileMe users 25GB right off the bat when they migrate to the iCloud.

Since even before the iCloud was unveiled at the Apple WWDC 2011, MobileMe users have been concerned about the fate of their current accounts. Now that Apple has made it clear that MobileMe would cease to exist, with its core functions rolled into the iCloud, the other question still lingering is whether users can continue to access these services from the web.

The moment of truth is finally here. The iCloud has been revealed after months of speculation. And one of the main questions that piqued many of our minds was what would happen to Apple's MobileMe device syncing product. Well, its official now. MobileMe is dead.

Last week's Google I/O kicked off the first keynote with an image on the big screen of an adorable Android robot ready to swallow an apple, bringing laughter to the crowd of 5000 attendees. This certainly isn't the first time we've seen shots taken at the bitten apple logo, which being an inanimate and already injured fruit has very little means to defend itself. Apple probably won't be fighting back with its own cartoon, but they could bring some major announcements at next month's WWDC to take a bite out of Google's recent developments.

I've always wanted to try Apple's MobileMe service but have balked at the $99 a year cost. Yes, I have a hard time parting with my money. So I'm very excited now about the rumors that the revamped MobileMe service is not only going to the cloud, but also going to be FREE.

With iOS 5.0 failing to make its debut at Apple's iPad 2 event last week, we're wondering when the company might preview the next significant update in its mobile platform. According to German site Macerkopf, that will be at the start of April; their source claims iOS 5.0 and the refreshed MobileMe will both get their official launch next month.